It keeps going, and going, and going...

Dog days of summer continue here in Alabama. As I sit and watch the news, I see the effects the heat is having across the country. There are brushfires, heatstrokes, and power outages. Even technology is feeling the effect because MySpace went down for a few hours this morning because of a power outage affecting its servers. Between these real events and having seen Superman Returns this summer, it has become more evident to me how much our country has become reliant on electricity. I know that seems like a given, but think about the technology that runs everything now. If our power source is out, our technology is crippled. What do you think about this? Are we too reliant on technology? Are we too spoiled with gizmos and luxuries that run on electricity?

A Need for More Reflection

As I have learned so much about blogging over these past few months, I have contemplated branching out with these blogs. I am taking the lead from blogging pioneers. They have their class blog and a professional blog. I will now devote this blog just to my classes since they have made it such a great site for discourse and discussion, and I am working on a professional blog called It's All Geek To Me (teach2geek.blogspot.com). This will inspire teachers to use their current great practices and turbo charge them with technology. Please join me there and reflect on teaching and best practice in 21st Century Literacy Skills.

True Confessions

Ok, I know as an English teacher I should not admit this but I must...

I never really read for pleasure until after I was out of college.

There, it is out there for the world to know. I am not happy about it, but the truth is that I was in a four year AP feeder program in high school and had a prolific social life (yes, cheerleader/athlete in small town school). My teachers did not have the wisdom to give some choices for reading. We read the classics, which I never fully appreciated until college, and I had a hard time maintaining an interest. I did not like to read and had no intention of being a lifelong reader. Rather than give my life history, I will get to the point of this rant. I am up at this indecent hour right now because I cannot quit reading. Is it the latest John Grisham novel? No. Is it the latest Nicholas Sparks romance novel? No.

The reading I cannot "put down" is blogs! I am addicted. I am a Bloglines addict. Although I read now for pleasure as well as professionally, I find that the immediacy of information offered by blogs is so wonderful. Now remember, I am not talking about MySpace blogs or people's personal rants. I am referring to blogs by professionals, teachers, companies, and colleges that offer information that pertains to my profession or interests. Become a lifelong reader and add blogs to your repertoire. Along with newspapers and magazines, blogs should be your major source of up to date information in the world of .... whatever topic you are interested!
I must go to bed. I will post and link to some of the fabulous bloggers contributing to my knowledge base, but in the meantime look at my cool blogroll. I just learned how to add that. See you in the blogosphere.